Chapter 141: All That Toil and Trouble, For Whose Sake?

The sound of horseshoes echoed, and dust filled the air. White Flag Valley grew further and further behind them until it finally vanished from sight.

They had come with dozens of men, but only three riders returned.

Xiangcao did not cry or beg Lu Liaoliao to let her stay; she merely relaxed her posture slightly before shrinking back into herself once more. Her gaze when looking at others flickered with evasion mixed with wariness. With Li Sansui’s consent, Lu Liaoliao left twenty covert guards behind to ensure Xiangcao’s safety before turning away with a hardened heart.

Xiangcao watched Lu Liaoliao depart, her appearance so pitiful and helpless that it wrung one's heart.

A smile hung on Feng Yao’s face as she pointed to her lower abdomen: "Do not forget, this White Flag Valley is also your home. Come back and visit often."

Lu Liaoliao’s already aching heart felt as though it had been ripped apart; he staggered and almost failed to stand steady.

A woman’s greatest wish was to have the man she loved by her side. Sister Feng Yao had said so back then, but Lu Liaoliao could not do it. Therefore, along the entire journey, he did not dare to look back, not even for a single glance.

"At our speed and with horses like these, we can make it back to Chang'an in a few days," Li Sansui said, galloping on horseback while tilting his head back to take a swig of wine.

Lu Liaoliao looked up toward the direction of Chang'an. That was the destination of his mission; there lay his home, the woman he loved, and his children. Yet he could not bring himself to swing his horsewhip and urge his mount forward.

A man ought to be carefree and unburdened like Zhuge Fengxian and Wang Qi, so he wouldn't have to suffer through such torment and entanglement. But Lu Liaoliao asked himself, and knew he would never learn to be like that.

When that towering and majestic city wall appeared before his eyes, Lu Liaoliao’s spirits lifted, his heart flying home like an arrow. Everything that had happened in Nanzhao felt like a hazy dream.

When a man achieves greatness, even his dogs and chickens ascend to heaven. Following Lu Liaoliao’s transfer, Boss Hu also rose with the tide, becoming a squad leader in the Left and Right Yingwu Guards of the Northern Imperial Army. As he walked, he held his head high and stuck out his chest, radiating the impressive demeanor of a true soldier.

In the front courtyard, the servant who had followed Young Mistress Wang Liuli into the household sat listlessly in the gatehouse, yawning from time to time. Boss Hu immediately found this intolerable. Back when he sat in that very position, how intensely focused his spirit had been! He had never missed a single maidservant or waiting woman who accompanied her master to see a doctor.

Just as he was about to step forward and scold the man loudly, the sound of "clippity-clop" hoofbeats suddenly reached his ears. Turning his head, he happened to see Lu Liaoliao and Zhou Liuzi leaping down from their horses.

"Young Master! You're back! Boss Hu here missed you to death!" Boss Hu rushed forward like a whirlwind, eagerly taking the reins with a brilliant smile.

It wasn't just Boss Hu who had missed Lu Liaoliao to death. The inner hall in the back courtyard of the Lu residence was packed with people of all ages and genders.

Qing'er carried the infant in swaddling clothes over to Lu Liaoliao. Lu Liaoliao peeled back the cloth and lightly flicked the month-old baby boy's tiny organ, causing the little fellow to instantly burst into a lusty wail, his voice remarkably robust.

"This is the eldest legitimate grandson of the Lu family. I thought of a name for him long ago: Lu Tianxing," said the elderly master Lu Manman, sitting in the primary seat with a most joyful smile.

Lu Liaoliao clumsily picked up his son, looking him over from left to right. The little fellow, however, wailed incessantly, his tiny hands thrashing desperately toward Wang Liuli’s direction.

"Young Master, there's another one here," Ping'er said, cradling Lu Liaoliao’s daughter, Yueya, and shoving her into Lu Liaoliao’s embrace.

The older daughter did not cry or make a fuss; a pair of bright, intelligent eyes constantly scrutinized Lu Liaoliao’s face. Holding this pair of children in his arms, Lu Liaoliao felt an incomparable sense of fulfillment.

"Alas! It was this little fellow who prevented me from moving around for nearly a year. What a nuisance. If we have another one next time, you can give birth to it."

That night, Wang Liuli glanced disdainfully at the baby beside her, complaining with dissatisfaction to Lu Liaoliao.

Lu Liaoliao was instantly left speechless. If men could bear sons, what need would there be for women? Wang Liuli was truly Wang Liuli; she hadn't changed at all.

"How was the Nanzhao affair handled? Will the Great Tang still dispatch troops to Nanzhao?" Wang Liuli shielded her son with one hand and turned to look at Lu Liaoliao beside her.

"With me, Lu Liaoliao, taking charge, success naturally followed smoothly. The things Uncle-Master wanted have all been brought back by Uncle Li. I believe there will be news from the court before long. Once the southwestern trade routes are reopened, the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce will naturally move through Nanzhao unimpeded."

Naturally knowing what Wang Liuli cared about, Lu Liaoliao smiled triumphantly.

On the following night, Tang Xiaqi placed her daughter far away and threw herself eagerly onto Lu Liaoliao's body, her breath as fragrant as orchids.

"My lord, this concubine went back to burn incense at Xiangji Temple. This time, I will definitely give you a son."

"What are you thinking? Your body hasn't even recovered yet. There will be plenty of opportunities if you want a son; lie down and get some good rest." Lu Liaoliao playfully flicked Tang Xiaqi on the nose with an expression of fond exasperation.

Piles of withered leaves drifted leisurely on the wind once more. In the study, Lu Liaoliao sipped tea while gazing at the scenery outside the window. Suddenly, he felt his lapels being tugged a few times. Turning his head, he saw Qing'er with a flushed face and a shy, coy expression.

"My lord, this servant also wants to bear children."

"Good! Then let us work hard right now." Lu Liaoliao cast a greedy glance at Qing'er's chest and led her into the inner chamber where the study's bed was located.

Ah, life! Was it nothing more than bearing children for crying out loud? If so, how was he any different from that dark horse? After a few days of watching the pregnant blue-dappled prized steed, Concubine Huahua, Lu Liaoliao found himself momentarily lost in confusion.

Of course, life was not merely about bearing children; he also had to report for duty. Why had his appointment as the supply camp officer of the Left and Right Yingwu Guards been delayed for so long? There was no need for him to explain personally—those above naturally arranged everything.

Leading his personal guards to the Xuanwumen garrison, he saw the Military Adjutant, the Military Administrator, and the Cavalry Administrator who had come out to greet him. Lu Liaoliao was left speechless, shaking his head repeatedly.

"Haha! The four of us brothers truly share a deep affinity. Wherever Brother Liao is promoted, the three of us brothers will follow. Since we are all so familiar with each other, I think the welcoming banquet for our superior doesn't need to be so vulgar—let's just skip it!" Inside Lu Liaoliao’s camp tent, Adjutant Cheng Changmu said with a smiling face.

"Hmph!" Lu Liaoliao put on a cold face. "We may be familiar with one another, but the rules cannot be broken. The Tianxian Pavilion and the Hu wine shops—I love the floral wine at both."

"Brother Liao! Have mercy on us brothers. Recently, betting on horses at the Dayu Town racetrack, whoever we bet on loses, and our losses have been severe. It's truly damn strange! My pockets have been terribly tight lately. How about I treat you, but Brother Liao, you foot the bill?"

Cheng Changmu wore a bitter expression, looking pitifully at Lu Liaoliao.

"Well, you fatty Cheng, have you no shame left!" Lu Liaoliao pointed angrily at the bridge of Cheng Changmu's nose.

"I told you long ago that gambling at the racetrack was just for fun, but you wouldn't listen. Now you've handed over a large sum of silver to His Highness the Crown Prince. Yin Feng and I will pay for this welcoming banquet," Qin Ruochen said, casting a sideways glance at Cheng Changmu and shaking his head helplessly.

The instigator Lu Liaoliao thought of his own painstaking efforts ultimately serving as a wedding dress for that inconspicuous Crown Prince, and a very bad taste lingered in his mouth.

"Fatty Cheng, did you lose a lot of money on horse racing?"

Cheng Changmu heaved continuous, heart-paupering sighs of regret. "You have no idea how black-hearted that Crown Prince has been lately in his quest to make money. I suspect there is something fishy going on; he has already driven many people to ruin."

What on earth had happened to make Crown Prince Li Heng strive so desperately to amass wealth? Lu Liaoliao cupped his chin in thought.

"Brother Liao, you wouldn't know this! An Lushan, the Military Commissioner of the Three Hebei Garrisons, led an army of sixty thousand to attack the Khitans in August, only to suffer a disastrous defeat and return in rout. Not long ago, news came back again that Gao Xianzhi, Military Commissioner of the Four Garrisons of Anxi, heard that the prince of Sogdiana had fled to the various barbarian tribes, detailing Gao Xianzhi's deceit, temptation, greed, and tyranny. The various barbarians were all enraged and secretly invited the Abbasid Caliphate to jointly attack the Four Garrisons.

"Upon hearing this, General Gao Xianzhi led thirty thousand indigenous and Han troops to attack the Abbasid Caliphate, driving deep over seven hundred miles to the city of Talas, where he encountered the Arab forces. After a standoff of five days, the Karluks rebelled, attacking the Tang army from both sides together with the Arabs. The Tang army suffered a crushing defeat, with nearly all officers and soldiers perishing; fewer than a few thousand remained.

"With our Great Tang suffering defeat after defeat, the national treasury is tight, and there's no money left! I imagine the Crown Prince is desperately raking in money to present gold to the Holy Emperor, showcasing his own competence to consolidate his position as Crown Prince."

Cheng Changmu whispered close to Lu Liaoliao's ear, murmuring in a low voice.

Hearing this, Lu Liaoliao was greatly shocked, looking at Cheng Changmu with disbelief. "Is this true?"

"Though we brothers lack great skill, this news cannot be faked. Who could have imagined it—who could have imagined that the invincible army of our Great Tang would suffer defeat after defeat? That the invincible General Gao Xianzhi would also lose a battle?"

Cheng Changmu shook his head repeatedly, finding it utterly incomprehensible.

It wasn't just him who couldn't make sense of it; the several young men present all wore gloomy expressions, equally baffled.

"What about the southwestern front? Is there any news?" Lu Liaoliao asked, his voice somewhat hoarse as he fixed his gaze on Cheng Changmu.

"Didn't Xianyu Zhongtong, the Military Commissioner of Jiannan, win a victory? He has already advanced as far as Qujing and Erzhou, what other news could there be? If not for the victory in the southwest, the face of our Great Tang would have been completely lost."

Cheng Changmu looked strangely at Lu Liaoliao, sighing endlessly.

The southwest, the Western Regions, the north—within the span of a single year, the Tang army had suffered three crushing defeats. Though the state was vast, a fondness for war would inevitably lead to its downfall. Countless people understood this principle, but none believed it could apply to the Great Tang. The Great Tang was not merely vast; its prosperity and wealth made the entire world gaze in awe. When had the Great Tang become so fragile and weak? Lu Liaoliao was utterly lost, and the young men around him were equally dazed.

Having spent a few days in a daze within the military camp, he went to pay his respects to his superior, the Central Zhonglangjiang, but the man avoided meeting him. When the rest day arrived, attending the welcoming banquet held by his subordinates in the supply camp at the Hu wine shop, Lu Liaoliao heard yet another perplexing piece of news.

Xianyu Zhongtong, the Military Commissioner of Jiannan, led the Jiannan troops to counterattack the invading Tibetan forces, repelling the Tibetans in a single battle, beheading over eight thousand, and capturing more than a thousand Tibetan soldiers. Before long, Xianyu Zhongtong would travel to the capital to receive rewards and enfeoffment. Yang Guozhong, Vice Censor-in-Chief, was given the concurrent title of Military Commissioner of Jiannan.

That night, Lu Liaoliao raised his cup with his colleagues to toast the victory of the Great Tang, drinking himself into a state of utter intoxication.

Why? Why?! He had traveled to Nanzhao, enduring all sorts of hardships and busying himself to no avail, yet in the end, it served no purpose whatsoever, making him seem like a total joke. Uncle-Master, oh Uncle-Master, he had clearly brought back the evidence of Xianyu Zhongtong's defeat and the state letter personally written by King Ge Luofeng of Nanzhao. Yet Xianyu Zhongtong suffered no consequences at all and was even heading to the capital to receive rewards!

Pity those tens of thousands of innocent soldiers of Nanzhao who died in battle, and the defeated troops struggling to survive in the mountain forests. Their sacrifices and struggles were so insignificant, so laughable.

Uncle-Master! What on earth are you doing?! Lu Liaoliao's head throbbed as if it would split open, while a silent cry echoed in his heart.